Wisconsin city rejects Palestinian sister city

MADISON, Wis. — The Madison, Wis., City Council has defeated a resolution to make the Palestinian city of Rafah a sister city, the Wisconsin State Journal said.

A compromise proposal that would have created the first U.S.-Palestinian sister city relationship between Wisconsin’s state capital and Rafah failed by two votes after an eight-hour council session that ended at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz opposed the sister city proposal, which he said made the liberal university town appear to take sides in the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“My concern with Rafah is that it does make a political statement,” the mayor told the Wisconsin State Journal.

The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, which supported the resolution, said it would continue to develop humanitarian initiatives in the Palestinian city, including healthcare projects and a playground.